Spacer element for a reinforcing member

ABSTRACT

An elongated preformed and resilient spacer element having spaced loops wherein each loop includes a socket formed by the inner surface of the closed end of the loop and inwardly directed shoulders of the loop legs. The spacer element is forcibly connected to a coiled reinforcing member having a plurality of turns by passing a portion of each turn between the shoulders of respective loops causing temporary outward deformation thereof and into the sockets thereof resulting in each turn being locked within the loop and spaced from the next.

2,225,226 12/1940 McFarland................... 52/646 3,114,221 12/1963 Eriksson....................... 52/689 2,574,107 11/1951 24/130 FORElGN PATENTS 908,890 0/0000 France 52/653 OTHER REFERENCES Engineering News-Record Mar. 10, 1960 Page 2 Copy in Group 350 52/689 Primary Examiner--Frank L. Abbott Attorneys-George H. Baldwin and Arthur G. Yeager 52/653, 52/637,52/723 ABSTRACT: An elongated preformed and resilient spacer E0411 12/10 element having spaced loops wherein each loop includes a socket formed by the inner surface of the closed end of the 8 2 264 loop and inwardly directed shoulders of the loop legs. The spacer element is forcibly connected to a coiled reinforcing member having a plurality of turns by passing a portion of each turn between the shoulders of respective loops causing 52/653 temporary outward deformation thereof and into the sockets 52/687 thereof resulting in each turn being locked within the loop and 52/688 spaced from the next. a?

C United States Patent [721 lmcnlor John Wood Jacksonville, Fla. [21] Appl. No. 704,468 [22] Filed Feb. 9, 1968 I45] Patented Sept. 14,1971 {73] Assignce Florida Wire and Cable Company Jacksonville, Fla.

[54] SPACER ELEMENT FOR A REINFORCING MEMBER 6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

lnt. [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 517,808 4/1894 Ransome...................... 1,672,176 6/1928 Schumacher et a1. 1,871,809 8/1932 Lampert.. .............U.....

[51] [50] FieldofSearch............,..4.......................,....

SPAC ER ELEMENT FOR A 'REINFORCING MEMBER zBACKGROU ND OF TH E INVENTION 1. Field ofthelnvention This invention relates to spacer elements for :reinforcing members of concrete columns, and more particularly, .a preformed and resilient-spacer element for a coiled reinforcing member.

The present invention ;is directed to an improved unitary resilient spacer element which maintains theturns of acoiled reinforcing member properly spaced within a concrete column prior to pouring and settingthereof.

2. Description of thePrior Art Spacers of various types have been employed =to space the turns of a coiled reinforcing member suchspacers-being :exemplified by U.S..Pat. Nos. '.1,159,29.7.;1,,17.2,026; 1,203,207; 1,409,217; 1,485,811; 1,492,757 and 1,683,82910ne o'ft'he problems with some of these prior art spacers, :for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,159,297; 1,203,207; 1 #109,217 .and 1,485,81 1 was that the tabs or'fingers engaging the turns of the coiled member required individual bending around :the turn to connect the spacer with the coiled member. Also, the

turn may not have been accurately Ilocated when the fingers were bent, thereby rendering the turns-improperly spaced one from the next. Another problem with other prior art spacers,

for example U .8. Pat. Nos. 1,;l7.2,026.and 1,203,207, was .that the spacer slots did not positively engage and maintain the coiled member turns in proper positions. Each .of :the spacers of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,492,757 and 1,682,8291is comprised oftwo elements, while other arrangements for properly spacing :the turns of a coiled member required the use of individual attaching elements or wire ties between one-of the longitudinal reinforcing rods and each :turn of the coiled member.

, SUMMARY This invention relates to .a resilient spacer element for a reinforcing member, particularly a .coiled member having a plurality of tums in whicheach turn is tobe spaced aprede'termined distance from the next. At least a pair of spaced and preformed loops are provided on the spacer with each loop having at least one inwardly directed shoulder portion on one leg of each loop. To connect the spacer to a turn .of the coiled member, a loop is moved relative to the turn with a portionlof .the turn moving between the legs of the loop freely until contact with the shoulder portion. By forcible :movement of the turn relative to the closed end of the loop, the legs are temporarilyand outwardly deformed to permit the turn portion to seat in the socket formed by the inner surface of the closed end portion ofthe loop and the shoulder portion. ltis intended that the socket is closely fitted around the portion of the turn for accurately spacing each turn from the next and to assure that the outer surface of the closed loop end portion is disposed inwardly of the outer surface of the concrete column .a predetermined minimum .distance.

In another aspect, each leg of the loop includes an inwardly directed shoulder portion facing each other and forming, with the inner surface of the closed loop end portion, the socket in which'a portion of a turn of the coiled member nests.

A general object of this invention is the provision of an improved spacer element for areinforcing member.

A particular object is to provide an improved spacer element which is easily connected to a reinforcing member in a positive manner without manual bending of the spacer element.

Another particular object is the provision of a preformed and resilient spacer element which snaps onto turns of acoiled reinforcing member to accurately and positively space each turn from the next.

A specific object is to provide a improved spacer element adaptable for-use with coiled reinforcing members of various diameters, pitches and configurations.

Other specific objects of this'invention are theprovision of improved spacer elements which are simple and inexpensive 'in themanufacture'thereof and-easily connectable to reinforcing members prior -to the pouring and setting of concrete therearound.

*BRIEFDESCRIPTIONOF THED'RAWING The novel features which are believed to 'be characteristic .of this invention are .-set forth with :particularity in the appended claims. Theinvention itself,-however,:bothas to its organization and 'methodof operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, 'may best be understood by reference to the .following description taken in connection withthe accompanying dra-wing,'in*whic h:

E1G.J:is aperspective'viewiofthespacer element for a rein- ;forcing member in accord with the invention, the concrete 'colummencapsula'ting 1the'reinforcingmember andspaccr elementibeing shown by :brokenilin'es;

E16. '2 .is an enlarged perspective view of a connection Kbetweenthe-spacer elementandthe reinforcing-member;

'FIG. .3 is :an enlarged part-ial cross-sectional view taken alongline 3-3 0f F lG. 1;

FIG. 4'ista-side.elevational view-of one of the loops of the spacer-element shown :in FIG .3; and

P16. ;5 .is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCR'IP'TIGN 0F PREFERRED EM BO'DlM ENT Referring :now more particularly to the drawing, the spacer element'is generallydep'i'cted at -l"0vand the coiled reinforcing member is-designa'ted at 1510 whichspacer element 10 -is attached. Spacer 10 is formed 'from an elongated resilient wire -or=.rod, ,preformed into thecon'figuration shown in 'F 1G. '1, and includes a plurality of spaced Eloops,designated generally at '23, with the spacing of the :loops being different for various concrete 'beams and-columns, "well known .in the art. Often in concrete columns the specifications call for the spacing of turns 16 of the coiled member 15 adjacent the bottom of the concrete column 18 to be spaced-closely together, while other turns .17 adjacent the top of the column 1 8 are spaced a greater distance :apartthan turns 16..I't is therefore intended that spacer '10 be preformed with the loops 23 being properly spaced in accord with the specifications for various standard ibeams-and columns.

The concrete column 18 is'to be broadly understood to be any piling,:post, beam or the like, but herein is shown to be a prestressed concrete piling having a plurality of spaced and tensioned strands 30'extending longitudinally of the piling. As is well known in the art, the piling 'is made in a form with the strands 30 being located and tensioned between the ends of a concrete piling form. Prior thereto, the coiled reinforcing member 15 had been laid loosely in the form with the strands 30 passing 'therethrough. Either before or after 'tensioning of the strands 30, spacer 10 is connected to the coiled member 15 with a portion of each turn snapped into and locked within respective loops 23, as hereinafter more fully described. .Spacer 10 thus maintains the turns 17 of member 15 in appropriately spaced relationship in accord with the predetermined specifications therefor during the pouring of the concrete. After the concrete has set, the spacer 10 becomes a permanent part'ofthe'piling with substantially no function, except for providing a slight reinforcing function thereto.

The ends of the form may contact and restrict movement of the ends 11 and 12 of spacer 1'0 which also restricts longitudinal movement of coiled member 15 after attachment to spacer l0. lt may be desirable to locate spacer l0 closely adjacent one ofthe strands'30 with a wire tie (not shown) encircling one of thestrands 30, a-portion of spacer l0 and a turn of coiled member 15 thereby restricting longitudinal movement of the coiled .member 15 and'spacer 10. It is to be understood tion and prevent lateral shifting of spacer 10 which may cause an improper spacing of the turns 17 of coiled member 15.

The connection between the loops 23 of spacer l and the turns 19 of coiled member 15 will best be understood by reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Each of the preformed loops 23, for example loop 24, of the resilient spacer includes a pair of side legs 33 and 34 with a socket forming closed end portion 35 therebetween. An entrance 36 is formed between legs 33 and 34 for the free passage of coiled member portion 37 laterally therethrough and into its position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The socket 40 is defined by the inner surface 41 of closed end portion 35 and two oppositely disposed and inwardly directed and facing shoulders 42 and 43 located at the upper ends of the legs 33 and 34. The spacing between the shoulders 42 and 43 is less than the smallest cross-sectional dimension of the coiled member portion 37 adapted to be laterally passed therebetween. When the loop 24 is relatively forced onto and with respect to portion 37, legs 33 and 34 move and are temporarily outwardly deformed into the broken line positions 33' and 34 permitting further relative movement of portion 37 into socket 40 until portion 37 is seated therewith and lockingly maintained therein as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. While there may be some slight relative movement laterally between portion 37 and loop 24 after seating of portion 37 within socket 40, such movement is tolerable and of no appreciable significance. It is important that the upper surface 45 of loop 24 be beneath the concrete surface a predetermined amount, typically no closer than 2 inches from the concrete surface, and the location of loop 24 on portion 37 by gravity causes spacer 10 to seek its lowermost position when the loops 23 have been attached to the reinforcing member turns 17.

It will thus be seen that when spacer 10 is attached to coiled reinforcing member 15, the sockets, including socket 40 are in substantial alignment therealong and the portions of the turns are maintained generally in alignment. The turns 19 are in properly spaced alignment predetermined by the preformed spacing specifications for the column 18.

In the manufacture of the spacer 10 it is preferable to employ the same cross-sectional dimension of wire to form the spacer 10 as that employed as the coiled reinforcing member 15, typically three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter. In the formation of the loops 23, the inner surfaces 46 and 47 of the legs 33 and 34 are flattened, as shown in FIG. 5, and form the shoulders 42 and 43 at the upper ends of the flat surfaces 46 and 47. Also, the inner surface 41 is somewhat flattened during the forming operations performed on the wire in making the loops 23 of spacer 10 in accord with the invention.

It will be understood that the coiled reinforcing member may be cylindrical or conical through which two or more strands 30 may extend, rather than rectangular in shape with four strands 30 respectively disposed in the corners thereof. Other shapes for member 15, such as triangular, could be employed with three strands disposed therein. Also, the base end of a column may be larger than the upper end requiring a frustoconical or frustopyramidal coiled reinforcing member.

Spacers similar to spacer element 10 are intended to be manufactured in various lengths and various spacings of the loops in accord with the several standard specifications. A typical specification requires the first five turns 16 to be on one inch centers; the next five turns, on three inch centers; and the remaining turns, on 6 inch centers. If the column shown in FIG. 1 were to be longer, and assuming spacer 10 is a predetermined shorter length, an additional spacer could be attached to the same turn as loop 26 and other turns of the helix could then be appropriately connected to loops of such additional spacer. 1

It is also to be understood that an additional spacer may be connected to the coiled member 15 opposite to spacer 10, ifdesired, to more accurately maintain the turns 17 in properly spaced relation throughout the column 18. In this connection it is to be noted that the sockets 40 be generallyclosely fitted around the portions of the coiled member 15 disposed therein to prevent the outer closed loop surface 45 from being improperly imbedded within the concrete, i.e., having the distance between the outer surface 45 and the concrete surface less than a predetermined distance.

While only a certain preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art and it is, therefore, desired that it be understood that it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope ofthis invention.

What is claimed as new and what it is desired to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A one-piece resilient spacer element for portions of a reinforcing member formed from a rigid straight wire and adapted for use in a concrete column comprising at least a pair of spaced preformed loops adapted to receive respective portions of the reinforcing member, each said loop having a pair of side legs connected at one of their ends by a socket forming closed end portion, the other ends of said legs of each said loop forming an entrance for the free passage of a portion of the reinforcing member therethrough, said element having a substantially straight portion connecting one said other leg end of one said loop to one said other leg end of the other said loop, each said leg of each said loop having an inwardly directed shoulder portion spaced from said entrance toward said closed end portion with said shoulder portion on one said leg oppositely facing said shoulder portion on the other said leg, each said loop being adapted to be snapped onto a portion of the reinforcing member by relatively forcibly moving said loop onto a portion of the reinforcing member from and through said entrance and between said oppositely facing shoulder portions causing temporary outward deformation of said legs and then into said socket portion of said loop and retained therein by said shoulder portions, said socket portion conforming to and contacting the portion of the reinforcing member therein substantially completely therearound except for the space between said shoulder portions.

2. The spacer element as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of additional loops identical to said pair of loops and spaced each from the next, each said loop being adapted to engage a portion ofa turn of a coiled reinforcing member to space the turns thereof each from the next, the spacing between two of said loops differing from the spacing between another two of said loops.

3. The spacer element as defined in claim 1, wherein said spacer element is a rigid wire of generally rounded cross-sectional configuration and the socket portion is rounded to receive the portions of the reinforcing member rounded in cross section thereinto.

4. The spacer element as defined in claim 3 wherein said legs generally between said entrance and said shoulder portions includes oppositely facing flat portions and forming at their upper ends respective said shoulder portions.

5. An elongated, one-piece, resilient and preformed round wire spacer element for a coiled reinforcing round member having a plurality of turns comprising a plurality of preformed loops spaced each from the next and adapted to receive respective portions of the turns therein thereby spacing the turns of the coiled reinforcing member each from the next, each said loop having a pair of side legs connected at one of their ends by a socket forming closed end portion, the other ends of said legs of each said loop forming an entrance therebetween for the free passage of a portion of the reinforcing member turn therethrough, each said leg of each said loop having an inwardly directed shoulder portion spaced from said entrance and toward said closed end portion with said shoulder portion on one said leg oppositely facing said shoulder portion on the other said leg, each said loop being adapted to be snapped onto a portion of a turn by relatively forcibly moving said loop onto a portion of the turn from and through said entrance and between said shoulder portions causing temporary outward deformation of said legs and then into said socket portion of said loop and retained therein by entrance to a terminal point spaced from said closed end portion, each said terminal point forming respective said shoulder portion to retain said coiled reinforcing member in said socket. 

1. A one-piece resilient spacer element for portions of a reinforcing member formed from a rigid straight wire and adapted for use in a concrete column comprising at least a pair of spaced preformed loops adapted to receive respective portions of the reinforcing member, each said loop having a pair of side legs connected at one of their ends by a socket forming closed end portion, the other ends of said legs of each said loop forming an entrance for the free passage of a portion of the reinforcing member therethrough, said element having a substantially straight portion connecting one said other leg end of one said loop to one said other leg end of the other said loop, each said leg of each said loop having an inwardly directed shoulder portion spaced from said entrance toward said closed end portion with said shoulder portion on one said leg oppositely facing said shoulder portion on the other said leg, each said loop being adapted to be snapped onto a portion of the reinforcing member by relatively forcibly moving said loop onto a portion of the reinforcing member from and through said entrance and between said oppositely facing shoulder portions causing temporary outward deformation of said legs and then into said socket portion of said loop and retained therein by said shoulder portions, said socket portion conforming to and contacting the portion of the reinforcing member therein substantially completely therearound except for the space between said shoulder portions.
 2. The spacer element as defined in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of additional loops identical to said pair of loops and spaced each from the next, each said loop being adapted to engage a portion of a turn of a coiled reinforcing member to space the turns thereof each from the next, the spacing between two of said loops differing from the spacing between another two of said loops.
 3. The spacer element as defined in claim 1, wherein said spacer element is a rigid wire of generally rounded cross-sectional configuration and the socket portion is rounded to receive the portions of the reinforcing member rounded in cross section thereinto.
 4. The spacer element as defined in claim 3 wherein said legs generally between said entrance and said shoulder portions includes oppositely facing flat portions and forming at their upper ends respective said shoulder portions.
 5. An elongated, one-piece, resilient and preformed round wire spacer element for a coiled reinforcing round member having a plurality of turns comprising a plurality of preformed loops spaced each from the next and adapted to receive respective portions of the turns therein thereby spacing the turns of the coiled reinforcing member each from the next, each said loop having a pair of side legs connected at one of their ends by a socket forming closed end portion, the other ends of said legs of each said loop forming an entrance therebetween for the free passage of a portion of the reinforcing member turn therethrough, each said leg of each said loop having an inwardly directed shoulder portion spaced from said entrance and toward said closed end portion with said shoulder portion on one said leg oppositely facing said shoulder portion on the other said leg, each said loop being adapted to be snapped onto a portion of a turn by relatively forcibly moving said loop onto a portion of the turn from and through said entrance and between said shoulder portions causing temporary outward deformation of said legs and then into said socket portion of said loop and retained therein by said shoulder portions, said socket being round and conforming to and in contact therearound with the portion of the reinforcing member therewithin.
 6. The spacer element as defined in claim 5 wherein the inner surface of each said leg is flattened from adjacent said entrance to a terminal point spaced from said closed end portion, each said terminal point forming respective said shoulder portion to retain said coiled reinforcing member in said socket. 